Tsiyon Messianic Radio Newsletter - Vol 19.33 - 06/21/6024
TAM - 08/25/2024 AD
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From Eliyahu
Let's play a little word association game together. I'll give
you a word. You will need to be careful not to read beyond that word until
you have closed your eyes and thought of a few other words that are
associated in your mind with that word. For example: If the word is 'blue'
you might say something like 'sky', 'water', 'eyes', or you might say 'sad'.
The word 'blue' may be associated in your mind with any of those other
words, and probably others.
OK, now that we've got that, lets add another layer to our
game, by using Bible words. The first word is authority.
What other words come to mind for you?
Here are a few that some people associate with the word
authority: control, dominance, mandatory, enforcement, and so on. Some
also include words like brutality and abuse.
OK, now let's try this with an opposite type of word, the
word is submission.
Here are a few words that some people associate with the word
submission: compliance, consent, meekness, obeisance, obedience,
humility, and concede. Some also include words like prostration,
acquiescent, humiliation, armbar, takedown, and even guillotine. Brutality
and abuse are also included.
Both words, authority and submission are
morally neutral words. These words are also roughly opposites in meaning.
Yet, both words tend to evoke some negative associations, and sometimes
strongly so. Why do you think that is? This little word association game
stimulates interesting insights into the use of words.
For example: although these two words, authority and
submission, are opposite in meaning, they both evoke associations
with the words 'brutality' and 'abuse' in some people. I would venture that
most people do not like either of these words, authority or
submission, very much.
It is likely that the words, authority and
submission are both associated with negative words such as 'brutality'
and 'abuse' for a very good reason. Namely, because authority is often used
in self-serving ways that result in brutality and abuse to some people who
are in submission to such wrongly used authority. This common failure of
authority leaves those affected skeptical of authority generally, and only
grudgingly in submission to those authorities over them out of fear of
reprisal, at best. Obviously, this scenario brings chaos and disorder on
society as a whole. To prove my point we need look no further than to
various officials and politicians who are more interested in exercising
their authority to benefit themselves, rather than committing themselves to
justice and righteousness for the public good.
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Having acknowledged all of that, am I saying that authority and submission
are in any way bad in themselves? Quite the opposite. Both of these, in
their pure and undiluted form, issue directly from the Divine character.
Both authority and submission, rightly applied, are literally God-like in
essence and in effect. Let's take a look at the Divine side of this true
dynamic duo, authority and submission.
Surely, there is no greater authority than our Father in Heaven Himself. Is
His authority justified? He is the Creator of all things. It is only right
that He should be the ultimate authority over His Creation. But do most
people submit to His rightful authority? Not really. In fact a simple
comparison between the norms of the prevailing worldview with the Divine
Commandments of the Scriptures demonstrates that the Divine Authority is
mostly ignored, if not worse. Yet, despite that rejection, authority remains
a quality of character intrinsically originating in Elohim.
Ah, but what about submission? While all reasonable people can easily see
that God has authority, how could submission possibly be a Divine
characteristic? Here, we look to the Son. He said:
"He who has seen me has seen the Father" and "..that all may honor the
Son, even as they honor the Father." (John 14:9, 5:22-23)
Yeshua could not have rightly said these things except that He shares in the
same Divine nature as His Father. This is confirmed in other verses, such as
this one:
"The Son is the radiance of His [the Father's] glory, the very image of His
substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3)
All of these verses and others like them confirm that the Son shares in the
Divine nature with the Father. While They equally share in that Divine
nature they are also in a Father/Son relationship. Therefore, the Son
displays the submission side of the authority/submission dynamic
toward His Father. From that perspective the Son says: "..the Father is
greater than I" and in prayer to His Father the Son says: "Father, if
you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
yours, be done." From the submission of the Son to the Father we
see a perfect example of how the authority/submission dynamic is
meant to function. (John 14:28, Luke 22:42)
Actually, I've been thinking about this because we have recently been
focusing on what happened with Joseph and Mary. It is such a good example of
how delegated authority works with rightful submission. Our Father gave
multiple commands to Joseph, who obeyed those commands, exercising
submission toward God, while walking in that delegated authority to lead his
new wife and baby in safety. Mary submitted to that loving authority
expressed toward her. All were blessed by that godly exercise of the
authority/submission dynamic in action.
We've heard a lot lately about Joseph, and tonight we will get more about
the other party to the story, Mary. Abigail will be leading a
panel discussion with three other ladies
that will take us more deeply into the important role that Mary played in
bringing Messiah into the world. Mary was truly an extraordinary
young lady, and I know we will all get deeper insight into Mary through this
panel discussion.
Our theme for tonight will be: Seeing
Mary's Faith. Join our live Tsiyon panel discussion tonight, August
25, 2024, at Tsiyon.Net at 8 PM, Central. This is sure to be an insightful
and impactful discussion you won't want to miss.
Eliyahu
Tsiyon.Org
The Good News of
the Kingdom - 12 Days in September!
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"In the world you shall have tribulation; but be
of good courage!
I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
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